The present invention relates to a radiographic system and a radiographic apparatus, and in particular to a radiographic apparatus which obtains image data and a radiographic system being provided with a console which generates a radiographic image based on the image data.
There have been developed a variety of radiographic apparatuses including a so-called direct type radiographic apparatus, which generates charges with a detection element in accordance with the amount of irradiated radiation such as x-rays and converts them into electric signals, and a so-called indirect type radiographic apparatus, which converts, with a scintillator or the like, irradiated radiation into electromagnetic waves having different wavelength such as a visible light, after which, according to energy of the converted and irradiated electromagnetic wave, generates charges and converts them into electric signals with a photoelectric conversion element such as a photodiode. In the present invention, the detection element in the direct type radiographic apparatus, and the photoelectric conversion element in the indirect type radiographic apparatus are collectively referred to as a radiation detection element.
The radiographic apparatuses of this type are known as a FPD (Flat Panel Detector), which previously had been formed integrally with a supporting table and the like (refer, for example, to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H09-73144). However, in recent years, a portable radiographic apparatus, in which a radiation detection element and the like are stored in a housing, was developed and has been practically used (refer, for example, to Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 2006-058124 and H06-342099).
In such radiographic apparatus and radiographic system using the same, there is carried out reset processing of each radiation detection element 7 (refer, for example, to FIG. 7 or the like, which is described later), which releases charges remaining in each radiation detection element 7, prior to radiation image capturing, as it is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-330429.
When irradiation of radiation to radiographic apparatus is initiated, an OFF voltage is applied to each scanning line 5, and then, each switching unit 8, which is composed of a thin film transistor (hereinafter it is referred to as TFT), is turned to be OFF, and thereby the apparatus becomes an electric charge accumulation state in which charges generated by the irradiation of radiation are accumulated in each radiation detection element 7.
After image data D are read out from each radiation detection element 7, thinned-out data Dt, in which the read-out image data are thinned out at a prescribed rate, are transmitted to console 58 (refer, for example, to FIG. 11 or FIG. 12, which is described below), and then, a preview image (a simple image) is displayed on display section 58a of console 58. Console 58 is equivalent to a control PC in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-330429.
In the radiographic apparatus, when thinned-out data Dt were transmitted, after remaining image data D are transmitted, a reset process of each radiation detection element 7 is again carried out After that, there is carried out read-out processing of offset data O, which reads out, as offset data O, offset equivalence originated in dark charges (also referred to as dark current) superimposed on image data D which were read out for each radiation detection element 7.
Then, each of offset data O, which were read out by the read out processing of offset data O, is transmitted to console 58. After that, in console 58, image processing is carried out for image data D or offset data O to generate the final radiation image. The radiographic apparatus or the radiographic system may be constituted in such a way as described above.
However, if the radiographic system is constituted in such a way as described above, for example, a subject may not be captured due to some causes in a preview image displayed on display section 58a of console 58, or a subject may not be captured at an appropriate position in an image.
In such a case, in a radiographic system such as described above, even if a radiological technologist who observed a preview image determines that image re-capturing is needed, the radiographic apparatus automatically successively carries out, as described above, a transmission of remaining image data D, second reset processing of each radiographic detection element 7, a read-out processing of offset data O, a transmission of offset data O, and the like.
Due to the reason, a radiological technologist sometimes could not carry out an image re-capturing until the above series of processing are completed. However, with this situation, it becomes inconvenient for the radiological technologist to use the radiographic system.
In addition, in a case where the radiographic apparatus is one incorporating a battery which supplies a power to each functional section, since the radiographic apparatus sends image data D which makes no sense to be transmitted, or a read-out processing or a transmission of unnecessary offset data O is carried out the power of the battery equivalent to the above useless actions is wasted. Then, there was a possibility of a problem that the battery runs out of power in a shorter time and thereby an image capturing efficiency per battery charging is lowered.